Mail-bag handler.



.T. L. ADAM.

MAIL BAG HANDLER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 190B.

Patented June 29, 1909.

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I 9 I v ATTORNEYS.

' J. L. ADAM.

MAIL BAG HANDLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1908.

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Patented June 29, 1909.

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JOHN L. ADAM, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

MIAIL-BAG HANDLER T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. ADAM, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New Orleans, Orleans parish, State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Handlers, and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the following full, clear, and exact description, terminating with claims particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to railway rolling stock, and more especially to that class of devices known broadly as mail bag delivery and specifically as catchers and cranes; and the object of the same is to provit e a device on the car adapted to cooperate with another on a post at the station for an interchange or transfer of mail bags or packages. In a companion application filed Feb. 13, 1908, Number 4157 19, I cover broadly the principle on which a mail bag transfer device of this general type operates; and in another application filed April 22, 1908, Number 1-2861et, I cover the details of construction as applied to the transfer of pieces of freight or express and perhaps passengers or other live and delicate articles. Both said applications show and describe the device atthe station which it will not be necessary to amplify in the present case, and all these applications involve a principle of operation which is properly made the subject of the broader claims in the earliest.

The present invention is more particularly a mail bag handler although equally useful with pieces of freight or express, and it includes a construction of the catcher and crane on the car which will permit it to be folded into very small compass against the side of the car when it is not in use, and

simplifies the mechanism and reduces the number of parts. It also includes devices within the car which cooperate with the catcher and by means of which a bag or bags or pieces of freight or express too heavy or cumbersome to be conveniently handled by the agent can be taken from the catcher proper and moved away from the doorway to a proper point within the car. The various details are set forth in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a general perspective view of the device illustrated on a car supposed to be moving to the right, with the parts in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 16, 1908.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No. 438,658.

the position they assume when ready for use that is, with the catching arms or hooks projected toward the crane on the post at the station (which crane is not shown) and with the holding arms projecting outward at right angles to said hooks and hence to the side of the car and the .line of travel; Fig. 2 is a cross section through the car illustrating the conveyor therein, showing the crane in elevation and the parts at its outer end in section and set in the same position as illus trated in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the ear and its doorway, the full lines showing the parts in the position for the agent to attach the bag to the holding arms and the dotted lines showing them folded against the side of the car and out of the way it being understood that in the position of parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the crane stands between the extremes illustrated in this view. Figs. .l-. and 5 are sectional details of the catches in the hooks. F .ig. (3 is a detail of the eccentric and lever for adjusting the position of the hooks with respect to the arms. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail, through the plunger casing. Fig. 8 is a perspective detail of a modified form of the holding arm. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section showing the hooks and arms stand ing parallel adjacent the side of the car.

In the drawings the numeral designates a car having a doorway as usual, and 101 is a swinging support such as an upright rod mounted in eyes 102 on the car and from which rod projects a crane consisting of brackets 103 in which is journaled an uprightshaft 11 having nuts 1stat its extremities. If necessary this crane may be supported by a swinging truss rod 106 pivoted at its upper end to an eye 10? in the side of the car. The crane is positioned ad jacent the door so that its outer end can be swung opposite thereto as seen in full lines in Fig. 3, or the entire crane with the parts carried thereby may be swung around to the position shown in dotted lines when it will occupy only a few inches of space beyond the flat outer side of the car wall.

Any suitable swinging device may be used, but I have shown herein and preferably employ that which will now be described and which is best shown in Fig. 3. 17 is a gear attached to the swinging support 101 opposite a slot in the car wall 100, and 170 is a lever mounted at 171 on any suitable pivot and having a segment 172 projecting through said slot and engaging the gear so as to rotate the latter and hence to swing the crane in either direction when the lever is moved in the opposite direction. It has a suitable opening through which may be passed a pin or other catch 18 adapted to engage openings or notches 19 in a segment 19 or other casting supported within the car, and said openings are so located and designated that the agent can tell without looking outside what is the position of the crane. By preference the size of the gear and len th of the segment 172 are such that the handle of the lever lies flat against the car wall when the crane is at either extreme position, and projects straight into the car when the crane stands straight outwardthus giving unmistakable notice to the agent that the device is then ready for use.

Any suitable tension device may be employed for retarding and finally checking the rotation of the shaft 11 within its bearings in the brackets 103, but I have shown herein and preferably employ that which will now be described. On the shaft at top or bottom or both are fixed D-shaped cams 130 each having a flattened face 131, and within a housing 140 on the adjacent bracket is located a spring 12 which operates a plunger 1 11 preferably having a head 142 that bears constantly against the edge of the cam or its flattened face when the latter comes opposite. Secured to the shaft just inside these cams are holding arms 6 which project radially from the shaft, parallel with each other, and in a direction opposite to that in which the flattened faces 131 are disposed; and hence when the latter contact with the plunger heads 142, the arms 6 will project straight outward in line with the brackets 103. Other or additional tension devices may be employed without departing from the spirit of the present invention, but in any event it is preferable that the holding arms be frictionally held in this position and that at all times said devices shall retard the rotation of the shaft 11 and perhaps produce a thump as the flattened faces of the cams pass the plungers.

The principal point of improvement in the present case over my former applications above referred to consists in mounting the catching arms or hooks T adjustably instead of rigidly on the shaft 11, as will now be described. Between the holding arms 6 a tube 110 is fitted loosely around the shaft 11, preferably held in place by collars 111, and the hooks 7 are mounted rigidly in any suit able manner at 9 and 10 on this tube near its ends and stand parallel with each other. Pivoted between ears 112 and projecting radially from the tube is a lever 118 having an eccentric 11% adapted when the lever is raised to be projected into the tube and to engage one of several slots in or flattened faces 115 on the shaft 11. These are arranged at such points and the eccentric is so disposed with respect to the handle of the lever that when the latter is raised the tube and hooks may be turned upon the shaft, and after setting said hooks to the position desired, the depression of the lever engages the eccentric with one of the faces 115 and locks the hooks in the position to which they have been adjusted with respect to the arms while still permitting all of them and the shaft 11 to have the rotation in the crane as permitted although retarded by the tension devices.

A detail which I employ in the present instance consists in the use of catches pivoted at 71 in the hooks T and having weights 72 so positioned that the tips of the catchwill be thrown normally toward stops or spurs 60 mounted upon the bodies of the hooks. These spurs are employed to prevent the eyes or handles of the mail bags from moving too far inward on the hook bodies when caught, which might allow ti o bodies of the bags to strike the tube 110; and by their use on the catching hooks I therefore avoid the necessity making the latter converge toward each other as formerly. Th catches F0 obviously serve the purpose of permitting the handles to pass over them as the bag is caught, and thereafter holding it in place. The spurs 60 may also be employed on ti o holdingarnis 6 as shown.

Another detail whi h I may employ in the present instance consists in the use of a safety locking pin 2G0 adapted and intended for insertion through holes 201 in the tube and shaft when said holes come into alinement, and the holes are preferably so disposed that alinement will occur when the hooks and arms are alined and the entire catcher occupies the narrowest possible place.

in connection with the above catcher and crane, l: preferably employ a mail bag handler of any suitable type for carrying heavy bags from their posit-ion within the car to the arms 6 or from the hooks 7 to their proper position in the car, and the same will now be described. Supported across the car is a rod or track 300 on which runs a trolley or carriage 301 having a pendent, sheave 302 and over the latter runs a rope having a hook 304 at one extremity and its body led to a clcat 305 secured within the car. By this handling device it is obvious that the heavy bags can be raised from the floor or removed from the hooks, dragged lengthwise within the car may be desired, and elevated and moved across the car on the track at will, and although not illustrated it is possible to have pulley blocks within the rope so as to increase the lifting pow A modification of the holding arm which I is shown in Fig. 8 consists in n aking it of spring metal in two leaves 61 folded upon each other at 62 and there connected in any suitable way (not shown) with the shaft 11, and these leaves are riveted together as shown at (33 to give the arm sutlicient rigid- 1ty. Toward their outer ends the rivets are omitted and the tip of the lower leaf is bent downward as at (3%, while the upper leaf humped as at 65 and its tip bent. ngward as at (36 as shown. These divergent tips therefore produce a flaring mouth into which the handle of the bag can be passed and which springs together when said handle has been engaged by the hump. It will be. understood that another and similar arm is used at the lower end of the shaft ll with the parts inverted. By tho use of arms of this character the outer eyes at the extremities of a bag can be quickly engaged and will be frictionally held in proper position and when the hooks engage the inner eyes and strip the bag off the arms its handles will be drawn from the hump in the arms and pulled forcibly from between the tips where they contact with each other.

A modification or rather a simplification of this entire structure which it is possible to make although unnecessary to illustrate, would consist in the omission of the lower arm and hook so that the ba g to be delivered would be suspended on the upper arm only and the bag to be caught would be engaged by the upper hook aloneall of which is in cluded within the scope of the present idea. It will be obvious without further description or illustration that this device may doliver a bag without catching one, may catch a bag without delivering one, or may exchange its bag for that at a station.

The operation of this improved mail bag handler will be as follows, it being understood that the catching and delivering devices on the post at a station are constructed in such a manner as to cooperate with those on the car shown herein; and as the station devices form no part of the present. invention and are fully covered in my companion applications, it is thought that it will not be necessary to give their details. Also it is to be understood that the bag has eyes or handles at both ends as usual, or if pieces of freight or express are to be handled they are put into a holder (for description of which see my companion applications above noted) also having handles or eyes, and said eyes are made double at each extremity and spaced so that the two outermost will engage the holding arms 6 while the two innermost are adapted tobe engaged by the two hooks 7.

In the folded condition of parts the arms and hooks stand parallel with each other and with the brackets of the crane, and the entire device is swung around against or nearly against the side of the ear and out of the Way, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.

3. lVhen the device is to be brought into use. the agent manipulates the lever 170 to swing the crane and its parts through one half a. circle, where it will stand across the doorway 105, and then by properly manipulating the lover ll l he turns the tube ,1 1.0 and swings the hooks 7 into the car if the train is moving to the right or out of the. car if the train is moving to the ltLft' t'lit, arms and hooks in either event standing at right. angles to each other as shown in full lines. lly use of the handling devices the bag or holder is then brought to the doorway and its outermost eyes engaged with the tips of the arms (3, the hooks then being out of the way as seen. The entire crane is then turned through one quarter circle by movement of the lever 170, when it projects straight outward from the car and can be locked by engaging the pin 18 with the proper opening 10. In this position of parts (best. seen in Figs. 1 and 2) the arms 6 project straight outward in line with the brackets 10213 and are held frictionally by the flattened faces 131 of the cams 1.30 and the heads let-2 of the plnugcrs 1-111; while the hooks project forward toward the device at the station which the train is approaching. It being uiulcrstood that, another hag similarly su iported on a corresponding device at the station and with the hooks thereof projecting toward the approaching train, when the latter passes the station the tips of the hooks on each devic will engage the eyes of the bag on the other and will. strip them off the tips of the arms by which they were supported. As described in my aforesaid connpanion applications, these eyes slide onto the catching arms or books and the bags come to rest without striking the tubes llO the spurs 0 in the present instance positively limiting their n'iovement toward said tubes and the catches T0 retaining them against dislodgmcnt. It will be obvious that the impact on the devices will cause its shaft ll to rotate in the crane, but this rotation will. be retardtal and finally checked by the tension devices and the rotating parts will come to rest with the flattened faces of the cams against the plunger heads and the hooks still standing 1.

at right angles to the arms. During such rotation the tube turns with the shaft because it is locked thereto by the eccentric lever, and after the station is passed the agent within the car uses the lever 170 to swing the device back to the doorway, after which he removes the new bag from the hooks, sets them again parallel with the arms and all. of them parallel with the brackets, and swings the entire device around i 1 against the side of the ear to its folded position when it is out of the way.

it is contemplated that the tube shall turn on the shaft with some little friction, such as may be produced by properly setting the l an collars 111 its ends, and it is also contemplated t iat f the tension the friction o all no be too great or too little.

devices sh t ossible .tor the agent, when apo rotate toe shaft and arms -ithi n ti crane; and by these tachnient and det, t:. )lClQCl. I prefer t ndle shall lie close t head 11 i ent, he ause in t I Q rotates 1 V i v r not be lon r n ome the friction produced by c arr 111 and the weight of books, and in any event it h i, nce between the tl' or 101. The lever lian; p ably made as short as PM. lie sake of economy of space w'th The ice .ig pin 200 may be i entirely, and the use of t is obvious although 1 con i ,ntageous in this con- 1 p perhaps not ture of t is inve ion, which latter-consists in the use of a single pair of hooks instead of a double ir as heretofore and in means rain. I do details of construc sary to carry out the sizes, shapes, ails parts.

arallel ror ad de vices tube in a. an a with cr thereby 5 n'iountks gro- )arallel a lever c p c tube said faces to hold the tube in its adjusted position.

1-. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a crane, and a shaft supported thereby and having flattened faces; of a tube mounted loosely on said shaft, catching hooks projecting radially from the tube and parallel with each other, cars projecting from the tube between which it is slotted, a lever pivoted between the ears for adjusting the tube around the shaft, and an eccentric head on the lever so disposed around its pivot that when the lever lies against the tube the head is retracted but when it is swung outward the head is projected through said slot to engage one of said faces.

5. in a. mail bag catcher, the combination with a crane mounted in a swinging support and carrying an upright shaft, and means for swinging the crane; of parallel catching hooks mounted for rotary adjustment on said shaft, and means for locking them in adjusted position.

6. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a crane mounted on a swinging support on a car adjacent its doorway and carrying an upright shaft, and means for swinging the crane from Within the car to move the shaft opposite said doorway or remote therefrom; of parallel catching hooks mounted for rotary adjustment on said shaft, and means for locking them in adjusted position.

7. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a crane mounted on a swinging support on a car adjacent its doorway and carrying an upright shaft, and means for swinging the crane from within the car to move the shaft opposite said doorway or remote therefrom; of parallel catching hooks mounted for rotary adjustment on said shaft, and an adjusting lever connected with the hooks and of less length than the distance between the shaft and support.

8. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with crane mounted on swinging support and carrying an upright shaft, and means for swinging the crane; of collars on said shaft, a tube held between them thereon, catching hooks projecting rigidly from the tube, and means for adjusting the latter and its hooks to set them at various angles to the crane.

9. in a mail bag transfer, the combination with an upright shaft mounted in a support, and parallel. arms carried by the shaft and adapted to project from it in line with said support; of a tube mounted for rotation on the shaft between the arms, parallel hooks pro ecting from the tube, and means for set- .ing the latter with its hooks at various angles with respect to the arms.

10. In a mail bag transfer, the combination with an upright shaft mounted in a support, and parallel arms carried by the shaft and adapted to project from it in line opposite the direction in which said arm with said support; of a tube mounted for rotation on the shaft between the arms, parallel hooks projecting from the tube, and means for setting the latter with its hooks parallel with the arms when the device is in folded condition or at right angles to the arms when the device is in operative condition and on either side of the arms as necessary. I

11. In a mail bag transfer, the combination with a swinging crane mounted in a support and having an upright shaft, and means for swinging the crane; of a holding arm carried by the shaft and adapted to project from it in line with the crane, a catching hook mounted loosely on the shaft, and means for setting its position thereon with respect to the arm.

12. In a mail bag transfer, the combination with a swinging crane mounted in a support on a car adjacent its doorway and having an upright shaft, and means for swinging the crane to bring said shaft op posite the doorway or remote from it adjacent the car wall or to cause the crane to stand outward from the car; of a holding arm carried by the shaft and adapted to project from it in line with the crane and straight outward from the car when the crane is so disposed, a catching hook mounted loosely on the shaft, and means for setting its position thereon with respect to the arm.

13. In a mail bag transfer, the combination with a swinging crane mounted in a support, an upright rotary shaft journaled in the outer end of the crane, a tension device for retarding its rotation, and means for swinging the crane; of a holding arm carried by the shaft and projecting rigidly therefrom, a catching hook mounted loosely on the shaft, and means for setting its po sition thereon with respect to the arm.

14-. In a mail bag transfer, the combination with a swinging crane mounted in a support on a car adjacent its doorway, an upright rotary shaft journaled in the outer end of the crane, a tension device for retarding its rotation, and means for swinging the crane to bring the shaft opposite the doorway or remote from it; of a holding arm carried by the shaft and projecting rigidly therefrom and adapted to stand straight outward from the car when the crane is so disposed, a catching hook mounted loosely on the shaft, and means for setting its position thereon with respect to the arm.

15. In a mail bag transfer, the combination with a swinging crane mounted in a support, an upright shaft journaled in the outer end of the crane, a cam fast on the shaft and having a flattened face standing projects, a spring-actuated plunger on the crane bearing against said cam and its flattened face, and means for swinging the crane; of a. holding arm carried by the shaft and projecting rigidly therefrom, a catching hook mounted loosely on the shaft, and means for setting its position thereon with respect to the arm.

16. In a mail bag transfer, the combination with a swinging crane mounted in a support on a car adjacent its doorway, an upright rotary shaft jonrnaled in the outer end of the crane, a cam fast on the shaft, a spring-actuated plunger on the crane bear ing against said cam, and means for swing ing the crane to bring the shaft opposite the doorway or remote from it; of a holding arm carried by the shaft and projecting rigidly therefrom and adapted to stand straight outward from the car when the crane is so disposed, a catching hook mounted loosely on the shaft, and means for setting its position thereon with respect to the arm.

17. In a mail bag transfer, the combination with a crane, and concentric solid and tubular shafts journaled therein and upon each other; of a delivery device carried by one shaft, a catching device carried by the other, and means for setting the latter with its tip at different angles to that on the former shaft.

18. In a mail bag transfer, the combination with a crane, and concentric solid and tubular shafts journaled therein and upon each other; of a. delivery device carried by one shaft, a. catching device carried by the other, means for setting the latter with its tip at different angles to that on the former shaft, and means for permitting both shafts to have a retarded rotation in the crane.

19. The combination with a mailbag crane including an upright swinging support, a gear thereon, and devices carried. by the crane for engaging the bag; of a casting,

and a lever pivoted thereon and having a segment engaging said gear.

20. The combination with a mail bag crane ii'icluding an upright swinging support, a gear thereon, and devices carried by the crane for engaging the bag; of a casting having openings, a lever pivoted thereon and having a segment engaging said gear and provided with a hole moving over said openings, and a pin adapted to engage the hole and either opening when in alinement.

21. The combination with a swinging mail bag crane and means for moving it, a shaft carried thereby and having a transverse hole, a tube mounted on the shaft and having holes adapted to aline with said hole therethrough, and delivering and catching devices independently mounted on the shaft and on the tube; of a locking pin adapted to be passed through the alined holes When said devices are alined with each other.

22. A mail hag catcher, comprising a straight arm projecting horizontally from an upright support, a spur rising therefrom, and a catch pivoted to the arm adjacent the spur and having a Weight holding its tip normally in position to cooperate With said spur, for the purpose described.

23. In a mail bag catcher, the combination With an upright shaft; of a pair of catching arms projecting therefrom parallel with each other, spurs on said arms adjacent the shaft, and a catch pivoted to each arm and Weighted so that its tip cooperates With its spur, for the purpose set forth.

2%. A mail hag deliverer comprising an arm consisting of two leaves folded upon each other and riveted together adjacent their bend and having divergent tips, the uppermost leaf being humped adjacent its tip, and means for supporting the arm at its folded end.

25. In a mail bag handler, the combina tion With the crane supported adjacent a car door, and the catching and delivering devices carried thereby; of an overhead track across and Within the car adjacent said door, a carriage thereon having a sheave, and a block-and-tackle engaging With said sheave and carrying a hook, for the purpose set forth.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature this the 9th day of June, A. D. 1908.

Witnesses T. F. Hoornn, J. H. HEMMER. 

